GSC Game World set up a new game studio called "Vostok Games" and their next game is Free-to-play MMO loosely based on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R concepts.

---QUOTATION---Our company appeared in March 2012 in Kiev. Ten years earlier, when at GSC Game World we started developing the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series and continued working on it until December 2011 when the studio was unexpectedly shut down and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 project – frozen. We did not reach agreement with the rights owner regarding the use of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand, that’s why we made the decision to move forward as an independent studio with a new project. That day became our starting point for Vostok Games.

Vostok Games is a new studio founded by veterans of Ukrainian game industry with multi-year experience of developing and releasing commercially successful projects. In March 2012 we reached agreement with Vostok Ventures Ltd. to back up the financing of our new game – free2play MMOFPS Survarium (working title).---END QUOTATION---

The whole S.T.A.L.K.E.R I.P was owned by Sergei Grigorovich and he wanted to distance himself away from the project for reasons unknown (he did not even inform the rest of the team why he stopped the STALKER 2 project or disbanded GSC) .

This is a joke right?? I have never been so pissed about a game being canned and replacing the zone and c conciousness with out of control trees in a free2play MMOFPS isn't making it any easier to swallow.

"We did not reach agreement with the rights owner regarding the use of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand"

what the hell are they going to do with the stalker brand? just make weird overly tight fitting clothes? how did GSC lose the rights? they aren't flippin car keys...

GSC Game World set up a new game studio called "Vostok Games" and their next game is Free-to-play MMO loosely based on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R concepts.

Our company appeared in March 2012 in Kiev. Ten years earlier, when at GSC Game World we started developing the renowned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series and continued working on it until December 2011 when the studio was unexpectedly shut down and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 project – frozen. We did not reach agreement with the rights owner regarding the use of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand, that’s why we made the decision to move forward as an independent studio with a new project. That day became our starting point for Vostok Games.

Vostok Games is a new studio founded by veterans of Ukrainian game industry with multi-year experience of developing and releasing commercially successful projects. In March 2012 we reached agreement with Vostok Ventures Ltd. to back up the financing of our new game – free2play MMOFPS Survarium (working title).

It is a day of mourning today

how did GSC lose the rights? they aren't flippin car keys...

The whole S.T.A.L.K.E.R I.P was owned by Sergei Grigorovich and he wanted to distance himself away from the project for reasons unknown (he did not even inform the rest of the team why he stopped the STALKER 2 project or disbanded GSC) .---END QUOTATION---

This isn't GSC, this is a group of people who worked at GSC and left to start their own company and a new game. They apparently tried to get the rights to STALKER from GSC but failed. GSC still exists, at least on paper, and still owns the rights to STALKER. Whether or not S2 is ever completed/released is a separate issue. . .

considering the mods available for ShoC as well as the upcoming mods for all the current installations of the franchise, I'd find it hard to figure out what GSC Gameworld could possibly create in a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 game

I love all three current installations as they are, for what they are - and with mods they will live on for many, many years to come

I mean, come on... ShoC was released in 2007, right? considering that's five years already and Lost Alpha hasn't even been released yet (that is not meant as a complaint, but rather something to take into consideration, regarding the current life-span of the oldest installment of the franchise)

The Faction War for Clear Sky, makes that installment an experience on it's own, like no other S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game

Call of Pripyat has a wide array of different mods, but most importantly a (game) engine which many people seem to enjoy and take advantage of

what could S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 possibly have to offer that modders have not made, or plan to make with the current games?

of course I'd also love to learn more about The Zone and it's inhabitants, etc. but the lore we already have is tremendous - there's about as much to learn about the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise as there is to learn about lore-heavy RPG's, such as the Gothic series and the Ultima series

The Zone as it is right now, is "ours" to mold - if I'm not mistaken GSC Gameworld gave modders right to use all assets already from scratch, as long as no profit was made

I realize how many people are disappointed in GSC's screw up's, etc.
but in all honesty it would seem to me as the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games have proved their point
my greatest fear with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has been all the anticipation and all the what if it fails completely
they could certainly have succeeded and created a well-worthy sequel to the current games, but on the other hand, all rumors about console-iterations, etc. didn't chime right with the franchise

the fact that we still have these forums and still have plenty of mods to look forward to, and still tons of builds to look through and still a wealth of information regarding the games and their lore, will at least keep me occupied for the coming decade(s)

---QUOTATION---GSC still exists, at least on paper, and still owns the rights to STALKER. Whether or not S2 is ever completed/released is a separate issue. . .---END QUOTATION---

Yeah, but pretty much everyone who was going to be able to deliver a proper S.T.A.L.K.E.R game left to form the Vostok games and the rights to STALKER 2 are held by Sergei Grigorovich who apparently doesn't want anything to do with STALKER.

Either way, I hope that Vostok Games would some day be able to buy the rights from Sergei because it's almost a crime that the I.P goes unused or worse ; gets sold off to a company that would only tarnish it.

Either way, I hope that Vostok Games would some day be able to buy the rights from Sergei because it's almost a crime that the I.P goes unused or worse ; gets sold off to a company that would only tarnish it.---END QUOTATION---

Even if it happened, what makes you think they'll want to continue with Stalker asap, when they have their own agendas ahead of them? They might lay it off for 4 or 5 years, which will be very bad.